“I’ll bet that camera takes great photographs”. How often have I heard that? It’s usually said by a young, novice, student photographer, or a guest at an event that I’m shooting, or some camera club numpty. Camera club numpties are usually obsessed with equipment and gadgets. They probably have an iphone and need to ‘learn’ Photoshop. Camera club types also need to purchase the latest camera/lens/bag/tripod etc. This is great as the C.C.N. is a lovely source of mint condition equipment, at knock-down prices. Their equipment only gets used for photographing birds on a branch, or trains on the line, or some girl in a bikini at the club or at some trade show.
Added to this list, is the second careerer. This is somebody who used to work in I.T. or H.R. or some-such. Usually they have a partner (in full-time employment) who is willing to fund an ever increasing list of equipment wants, and is willing to subsidise a new career in the exciting world of social portrait or wedding photography.
Almost all of the above are ignorant of what it means to make photographs.
I have no issue with any of these people, as they spend money on equipment, and in doing so, help keep Nikon or Canon or Sony running. This keeps prices to a reasonable level (have you seen how much film costs now fewer people are using film?). This is great for the manufacturers, but it isn’t photography.
Photography isn’t about cameras. Being a photographer is about exploring the world, and it’s about saying something through the photograph, that is personal to the photographer. One of the most vital lessons a novice must learn is to see what they are looking at. To do this they must firstly be interested in the world. The novice must develop an interest in history, in people of all kinds, in art, in literature, in science, in culture. To be able to see is vital in the making of successful images. A lively imagination is also required. The photographer must be able to envision the potential options within their chosen subject, and have the ability to explore these options at length.
The photographer must be willing to practice. Like a musician, who will practice and practice and practice some more to perfect their ‘chops’, the photographer must make more and more and more photographs to hone the skill of seeing and recording. The photographer must ‘remove’ the camera from the process. The process of image making should be refined to such an extent, that it becomes an instinctive reflex. Minimal thought should be given to the mechanics of picture making.
Look at pictures. Become a sponge and soak up the images that surround us. See the way that light falls upon a surface. Appreciate the way that texture and form affect the way that light is reflected or transmitted. Study great artists from the past and the way that they wrestled with the recording of light. Look at the work of Carravagio and try to understand why he painted in the manner that he did, how his environment caused him to see how he did.
Think about the position of items within the frame and compose instinctively, compose with closed eyes. Learn about perspective and shape. How can the mathematics of these elements be used to illustrate your chosen subject with elegance and simplicity. Look at the work of Paolo Uccello and Lewis Baltz to see how these artists use depth to sculpt life into a flat medium.
If we need to talk about the technology of photography let us restrict ourselves to how the robustness of a specific item can enable the photographer to work in inhospitable environments, or how the compact and quiet nature of a specific camera may assist in working unobtrusively. Or how a large negative, or sensor will enable the capture of fine detail, when the nature of important details are tiny within the scene to be recorded. This is the way a painter will discuss the quality of graphite used in a favourite drawing pencil or a sculptor will discuss the effectiveness of a specific chisel.
When choosing a lens, select one that has a large aperture, as this will allow a greater range of exposures. Important if light levels are low. Choose a mid-range focal length that projects a similar view to that of the human eye, as you are familiar with this view of the world. These lenses are usually inexpensive and are optically superior to some piddling zoom, such as an 18 to 55mm lens. If a wider angle of view is needed with your fixed focal length lens, then use your legs and move backwards. Many of the great photographs of the past were made with such a lens. The more equipment a photographer has, the less effective he or she will be in projecting their own personal vision.
It must always be remembered that cameras don’t make photographs, it’s the intelligence of an educated and cultured photographer that does.
